80+ Self-Care Activities for Teens

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Self-care refers to the deliberate activities we do in order to meet our physical, emotional, and mental health needs. When we hear about self-care, it’s usually in reference to adults. However, let’s face it, adolescents are under a tremendous amount of pressure. They can also benefit from practicing regular self-care!

Many adolescents are drowning in school assignments and extracurricular activities. They are preoccupied with getting good grades and joining enough clubs and teams to stand out when it comes time to submit college applications.

Adolescents are also trying to figure out who they are. They are trying to sort out who their friends are and where they fall on the social hierarchy. Many are also struggling to separate from their parents in order to gain more independence.

On top of that, adolescents are experiencing a significant amount of physical changes. Puberty is kicking in and their hormones have them all over the place. Their limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotions is rapidly developing causing them to experience a wide range of emotions and frequent mood swings. They haven’t experience many of these emotions before, so it can be difficult for them to cope with overwhelming feelings of sadness, loneliness, anxiety, etc.

When adolescents practice regular self-care, they are less likely to experience stress overload from the daily stressors they face. Additionally, research indicates that many diseases that lead to early mortality develop in adolescence. Therefore, it’s imperative that we teach adolescents preventative measures such as practicing regular self-care.

Below are examples of self-care activities appropriate for adolescents. It’s important to note that some activities require parental permission. I would love to hear other suggestions for self-care activities in the comments.

Each child is different and what works for some kids won’t work for others. The good news is that there are many options when it comes to self-care activities for adolescents!